My discovery that I had diabetes was when I was 37 years old. I was on vacation with my then-girlfriend. We went to Florida and stayed with my friend Wendi. I have never been much of a drinker, but you tend to cut loose when on vacation. Alcohol had the opposite effect on me and my girlfriend. For me, I got really slow and tired. For her, it amped her up. You could tell that we were arrows pointed in the wrong direction.
This picture was from the first day I had my blood sugar taken. We were drinking these super sweet alcoholic drinks from a can. As you can see, I was laid out, and she was lit up like a firecracker. So, later that night, she was worried and asked if I might get a blood test.
As luck would have it, Wendi had a roommate named Zephyr, and he was a Diabetic. He had the kit at home to test his sugars. He was a Type 1 Diabetic and tested his sugars for years multiple times a day. So he brought it out, and we tested my blood. I got a 245 blood sugar level. The next day, I got a 225 blood sugar level. (Figure Out If You Have High Blood Glucose Numbers here)
What I learned on that day is that I have Diabetes. When I returned to Philadelphia, I made an appointment with a doctor my girlfriend trusted. It was Dr. Charles Catania. He confirmed for me that I was a Type 2 Diabetic.
Blown away was the word for it. I had not been that unhealthy. My healthy mission for the few years before this vacation was to battle food allergies. I had seen some specialists that looked at food allergies, but they were still a mystery to me. I never thought much about my blood sugar level. That was two years ago. Thanks to Merridith and Zepher and Wendi, I learned that I have a curable medical condition that affects millions of people. Guess what? From then on I fought it.
Since that diagnosis, I have checked my sugar when I wake up. Maybe not every morning, but well over 90% of my mornings. I have fought and learned all I can about this condition. I hope to add it to this blog. It has changed my life and I am sure that it will change the health of you or somebody close to you. I now see sugar everywhere.
This week, I go back to Dr. Charles Catania, with the hope that new blood testing will confirm that I am a pre-diabetic and no longer a Type 2 Diabetic. When that happens, if it happens, then I will celebrate. But, I will celebrate without sugar and alcohol. This is because I Have Diabetes. No positive blood tests are going to change that. It is possible to come back from the danger zone, but I will always be a Diabetic.
Words By Matthew Baron
